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Ross (3284 KP) rated King of Thorns in Books

Sep 5, 2017  
King of Thorns
King of Thorns
Mark Lawrence | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
9.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
The second in the broken empire trilogy continues from where the "prince..." left off. Jorg is now King of Renar having successfully taken over rule from his naughty uncle.
In this book we see Jorg seemingy become more regal, less of a renegade loose canon, though this turns out not to be through his choice.
Similar to the first book, the story line is split between the "present", 4 years after the events of the Prince of Thorns and a separate timeline following immediately from the first book. The way these are woven together allows a good rate of reveals of key events and information along the way, while also leaving enough mystery behind for later.
The plot follows Jorg on his wedding day trying to defend his land from the would-be emperor, the prince of Arrow, and also in the past on a tour of the outlying countries trying to solve various problems.
The post-apocalyptic element hinted at in the first book is further explored here, but not in a way to detract from the important points of the story.
Overall this is an excellent follow-up with top-notch storytelling and engaging action, with the prince/king we love to hate and hate to hate.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Ravencry in Books

May 14, 2018  
Ravencry
Ravencry
Ed McDonald | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Still gritty (1 more)
More involved plot and exploration of the Misery
Superb follow-up
* I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *


The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.


For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.


The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.


The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
  
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Romance
8
7.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
For the most part, I really loved this film. I already loved the first one, I love the novels, so I had high hopes for this movie and almost all of them were made. Anyone who knows me knows how frustrated I get when I read a book and the corresponding show or movie just doesn't do it justice. I didn't feel like that with the first one and truthfully, I don't feel like that with this one. I am actually really happy with the way it turned out. I loved Jordan Fisher as John Ambrose McClaren and I have a special place in my heart for Noah Centineo. Of course, Lana Condor is amazing.

The ONLY thing I didn't like was the small changes in plot and character development. There are parts that, if you read the book, really push the characters and show who they are and what type of person they are the small changes I feel like take away from that. Maybe I'm too picky? I don't know.

Overall, I seriously loved this film. It's super cute and a great sequel to the first. I'm eager for the third installment and I HOPE it comes it before the end of the year!!
  
This is my first time reading a book by Jan Davis Warren! The Secret Life of Lady Evangeline is the first book in her new Secrets series. From the very first pages this book was an adventure that I did not want to put down.

Lady Evangeline was a remarkably strong women that I wish I could be! She faced a lot of trials and came out with a deeper understanding of the world around her. All the characters in the book were developed at a consistent pace and were interesting. I am hoping that the other books in the series touch on some of the other characters mentioned in this book as Id love to know their stories!

Overall, this story kind of seemed like a cross between Robin Hood and a Princess fairy tale. I enjoyed the storyline. Most of it was not too farfetched, but rather real events brought to life before your eyes. Entertaining and captivating.

 give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the attention-grabbing story, the character growth, and for making me anticipate reading more books from this author!

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
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Anders Holm recommended Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys in Music (curated)

 
Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys
Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys
1989 | Hip-hop, Rock
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"That is the album. It’s got all the songs on there that I love. You know, like ‘High Plains Drifter.’ That was an era of Beastie Boys that was between where they were like frat-partying animals and were like, ‘Whoa, hold up. We can really be artists with this rap thing.’ I think they were on the first album, obviously it was a breakthrough. I think this was their statement album—their first statement album of many. I am a huge fan. “To be honest, I could have gone with Check Your Head or Ill Communication since those were more my era of when I was deep in music. I think I stole my brother’s Licensed To Ill tape. The first one I bought on my own was Check Your Head. After I got that I was like, 'Oh, this is the shit.' I went back to go buy Paul's Boutique. And Paul’s Boutique, along with the other few albums I chose, just sounded like it was from another planet. It existed always. There was nothing wrong with it. The voicemail, outgoing message about Paul’s Boutique: 'We are here in Brooklyn.' It was like, this is for real, I could go there. I could call that number. It just seemed, like, magical."

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